Colostomy pouch apparatus



Aug- 23, 1938 l. F. SPINDl-:LL 2,127,834

COLOSTOMY POUCH APPARATUS Filed Deo. 18, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 gil/N @wf/@Wag Aug. 23, 1938. l. F. SPINDELL COLOSTOMY POUCH APPARATUS Filed Dgo. 18, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 23, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

My invention relates to surgical appliances and to colostomy pouch apparatuses in particular, and it has for its object to provide an improved apparatus of this class.

An objectionable feature characterizing devices of this class as heretofore constructed has resided in the construction and operation of the waistband for holding the pouch in position on and against the wearers body.

Sometimes the waistband has been made longitudinally elastic and sometimes non-elastic. Also, it is old to construct the waistband with a single body-encircling strap, or with two straps disposed edge-to-edge throughout their lengths or separated so that one could occupy a position above and the other below the hips at opposite sides of the body.

Difficulty has been experienced, however, 1n providing a waistband which would yieldingly and securely hold the pouch snugly in a fixed position against the wearers body in all positions of the latter, and most of the constructions heretofore proposed have not been fully satisfactory in this respect so far as I know. lVfy invention has for its main object to provide a waistband structure which will be more efficient than those heretofore proposed and which will serve to hold the pouch yieldingly and snugly against the wearers body in all positions of the latter as while standing and While lying down.

To these ends I have provided an improved colostomy pouch apparatus or outfit having the peculiar features of construction set forth in the following description, the several novel features of the invention being separately pointed out and defined in the claims at the close thereof.

In the accompanying drawings:-

Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly broken away, of a colostomy pouch showing the opposite end portions of my improved waistband attached thereto.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of a portion of a human body having applied thereto a colostomy pouch apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of one end portion of my improved waistband and Figure 4 is a front elevation of the opposite end portion of the waistband, said two figures showing the latter in its entirety.

The main feature of novelty of my invention resides in the construction of the waistband and the illustrated embodiment thereof comprises two webs or straps I and II each of which is a woven textile fabric having elastic rubber warp (Cl. 12S- 283) threads incorporated therein throughout its width in the usual manner so that the web is longitudinally elastic and transversely non-elastic.

For a portion of their lengths and mid-way v between their opposite ends the two Webs are disposed relatively parallel and have their proximate marginal portions overlapped as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. p

The middle portions of the Webs are fixed in their relatively overlapped positions by transverse strips or tapes I2, one at each end thereof, and constitute the middle section A of the body of the waistband which latter also includes two opposite end sections B each consisting of the two proximate end portions of the Webs.

The marginal portions of each strip I2 are fastened to the webs by lines through-andthrough stitching which define a pocket beneath said strip within which is confined a transversely disposed flexible stay I4 and which also fasten the overlapped portions of the webs together.

From each transverse strip I2 the proximate end portions of the webs extend convergingly for a substantial distance to provide an end section B, and have their extremities superposed and approximately registered one with the other. Extending transversely across the end of the outermost web I0 is a reinforcing strip or tape I5 which is fastened in position thereon by through-and-through stitching I6 which also serves to secure the ends of the webs together.

Between the strip l5 and web I0 of the body section B are disposed proximate ends of a pair of parallel straps I'I whose opposite ends are permanently equipped with metal eyes I 8. Adjacent to the eyes I8 is a transversely disposed reinforcing tie in the form of a strip or tape I9 whose opposite end portions are secured to said straps by through-and-through stitching 20. This stitching also secures one end of a textile shield extension 2| to the straps I1, said shield being for use between the eyes I8 and the4 body of the wearer when the waistband is in position upon the latter.

Between the strip I5 and web I0 of the opposite body section B are disposed proximate ends of another pair of parallel straps 22 on each of which is adjustably mounted a hook member 23 to co-operate with one of the eyes I8.

The hook members 23 are independently adjustable so that the effective length of each strap 22 may be varied to suit the requirements imposed by the shape of the wearers body, and it will also be clear that when the waistband is in position on the body one of these straps may be positioned above the hip at one side of the body and the other below so that displacement of the straps relatively to the body is prevented. If the waistband extends around and over the hip at the opposite side of the body, it will be clear that the longitudinal elasticity of the body of the band will permit the latter to conform to the shape of the wearers body.

The straps I1 are provided to interlock with and press against the usual wire frame or cage 23 within which the usual rubber pouch 24 is confined. That is to say, the straps l1 extend around the outside of the cage 23 and occupy positions behind arms or lugs 25 provided on the frame of cage 23, said arms or lugs being part of a horizontal crossbar or wire 28 which is engaged by the strap so as to hold the pouch frame against displacement vertically relatively to the waistband, said straps I1 providing a narrow slit between them through which a part of the frame of the pouch is buttoned.

'I'he apparatus is applied to the body of the wearer by extending the waistband around said body with the inlet-of the pouch in register with and surrounding the opening in the wearers body and after adjustment thereof the hook members 23 are engaged with the eyes i8. The body portion A-B of the waistband is notonly longitudinally elastic and elastically conformable to the shape of the body but the overlapping portions of the waistband webs between the strips I2 and also between the strips I2 and l5 are not stitched or otherwise joined together so that said intermediate portions of the two webs which are opposite each other are free to adjust themselves relatively thereby further increasing the capacity of the waistband to t itself to the body.

What I claim is:

1. A colostorny pouch apparatus having, in combination, a pouch-supporting wire cage for removably holding a pouch in position against the body of the wearer, and a waistband consisting of two longitudinally elastic webs of equal length disposed side by side in overlapped relationship throughout their lengths with their intermediate back-engaging portions disposed relatively parallel and partially overlapped and with opposite pairs of proximate end portions of said webs converging toward each other and having their extremities disposed in superposed relation, a transverse stay at the junction of each pair of converging end portions with said parallel intermediate portions and fastened to both of said webs so as to maintain the intermediate portions of the latter normally parallel and partially overlapped, means fastening the extremities of each pair of end portions in superposed relation, and means for separably attaching the opposite superposed ends of the webs to said pouch-supporting wire frame.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a waistband for removably supporting a wire pouchholding frame, said waistband comprising two longitudinally elastic webs of equal lengths disposed side by side in overlapped relationship throughout their lengths with two independently elastic intermediate back-engaging portions of said websdisposed parallel to each other and partially overlapped and with opposite pairs of proximate end portions of said webs converging toward each other and having their extremities disposed in superposed relation, a transversely disposed endwise stiff and laterally iiexible stay at the junction of each pair of converging end portions with said parallel intermediate portions and fastened to said webs so as to maintain the intermediate portions of the latter normally parallel and partially overlapped, means fastening the extremities of each pair of end portions in superposed relation, and strap means for separably and adjustably connecting the opposite superposed ends of the webs together and for separably supporting said wire frame.

3. `As a new article of manufacture, a waistband constructed in accordance with claim 2 wherein said last-mentioned strap means comprises two parallel straps disposed edge to edge and providing between them a slit through which a part of said frame is removably buttoned to .secure the latter to the waistband.

ISAIAH F. SPINDELL. 

